Long Walk to Freedom

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

The book that inspired the major new motion picture Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's antiapartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.

LONG WALK TO FREEDOM is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. Here for the first time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela tells the extraordinary story of his life--an epic of struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph.

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The quintessential political autobiography. Madiba takes us through his formative years, his three trials, his years of imprisonment, followed by his freedom and path to head of state in South Africa. Along the way we meet the architects of apartheid, who not only took segregation to ridiculous levels even as the States was desegregating, but also imposed a police state without any semblance of human rights even for the white minority, in particular the rights to habeas corpus and free speech. The book also serves as a stark reminder that under certain conditions, other countries could suffer the fate the author's country did. Equally a delight to read but sobering as well.

Let me start off by saying that this is a very lengthy book, nearly 700 pages, and even though it took a long time to read, I am glad I finished the book. I was doing a 10 minute presentation on the impact Nelson Mandela made on the world, and chose to read this book about his life, simply because he wrote it. I only finished it recently, but if you want to hear about Nelson Mandela’s life in his own words, this is the book for you. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for rebelling against apartheid government; he was in jail for nearly 3 decades for wanting equal rights among all South Africans. It was in jail where Nelson Mandela worked on this novel in secret, and it was his determination for equal rights that empowered all of South Africa to stand up for their rights. He became a father figure to an entire nation as well as a symbol of freedom for them, the light at the end of a very dark cave, a sign that things would change for the better. Nelson Mandela stood his ground on equal rights and devoted his adulthood to bringing a democratic South Africa and sure enough, he brought his country up from the extremes of apartheid and into modern democracy. And the triumphant of Nelson Mandela’s work in the political system is still evident today, where 20 years later there is still stable democracy in South Africa. This book does a great job of portraying Mandela’s inspiring story, I mean this is a man who came from poverty to defeat apartheid in South Africa and became the president, making sure everyone got equal rights. Nelson Mandela has left this earth but, one of the many things that stay with us today is his passionate cry for freedom and equality that can still be heard in the hearts of the people from any part of the world. Because you see when Nelson Mandela passed away, his long walk to freedom came to an end. Today is anything but an end. Today is the beginning. Nelson Mandela will be reminisced as an outstanding figure for South Africa and the rest of the world, but the struggle, the long walk, continues. . A monumental leader like Nelson Mandela can start a movement can spark the flame, but it needs the bravery of society to change. Nelson Mandela will always be remembered for his efforts in making the world a better place, but ultimately, it is up to us to carry on his legacy and continue his walk to freedom.

Loved the autobiography… Deeply moved by Mr. Mandela’s inclusiveness, humility and wisdom; he practiced extraordinary self discipline and always clung to hope: hope not just for himself, but for the vision of a future post-apartheid South Africa!
I concluded too that he discovered, and made his own, jewels of great value in the deep and dark mines of incarceration. He used these riches to build and nurture his dignity, and the dignity of his comrades; he used these riches to reach out to all his fellow South Africans, regardless of their color, gender, and “status” in the apartheid system. He also came across as a private but self deprecatory person, especially in matters related to his family. I am grateful to God for human beings such as Nelson Mandela.